It is your birthday again, old boy, and you are turning 49!
You are almost 50, reaching the half-hundred age. That sounds awfully old, but the silver-lining is that this is also the age when one knows their heavenly destiny.
What is my heavenly destiny? I don't really know, and that is part of my life philosophy—let life flow, and carry you to unknown terrains. But I am also a serious planner, and have been planning my life in the past two decades, to some good success. I am content with that. I don't think the main track of my life will change substantially in the following years since I am quite pleased with what I do. Reaching 50 and having achieved that, I cannot complain about life.
But life is also full of challenges, twists, and uncertainties, especially at my age and at the everyday level. 2025 was a year that can be summarized as a year of everyday ordinariness. I was mostly Buffalo bound, except for two trips to NYC and one trip to Tacoma. I spent lots of time with Lulu, which was joyful and full of wonders, but toward the end of the year, the tediousness and exhaustion of childcare also kicked in, exacerbated by endless logistics. Looking back to 2025, I had plenty of ordinary joys but without extraordinary excitement, leading to the withering of my soul. That was difficult, if not depressing.
But I have largely recovered from that low point, after a couple of conversations with Igel and some further self-reflection. I am hopeful about 2026, a year of more travels, adventures, and self-discovery. As Igel has been making good progress on her book, this year is critical for her to get the book published and secure her tenure. As a result, the overall stress on the family will be reduced and we can have more fun activities here and afar. With that spirit, here are my birthday wishes and new year resolution:
1) Researchwise, I should definitely make progress on my second book project. I still have two leftover commitments to finish, one from the Sarasota workshop and one for the Cambridge History of Medicine volume. I should be able to finish both projects by the end of this summer. In addition, I have the special issue for Osiris or Asian Medicine to develop with Genie and the Cambridge History of Chinese medicine volume to develop with Bian san. But these are long-term projects. After this summer, I should be in full force working on my second book—fingers crossed for an HI fellowship, so I can get some writing done by Summer 2027!
2) I plan to do more travels this year, including a short trip to Sarasota this March and a two-week trip to Taipei this summer, which involves some serious planning of logistics. In addition, we plan to have a family trip to Boston during the Spring Break and possibly another trip to NYC this May. At the end of the year, it would be nice to have a family vacation somewhere warm and relaxing to escape the harsh winter here—Hawai'i is on our horizon!
3) There are always more logistics than we expected and I am often mentally resistant to do them. Things are getting better these days after the dark moment in November 2025 as I have made progress on fixing the window in the sunroom, fixing Little Blue, and getting the ball rolling for house repairs for the Old House. The main logistic matter this year is to complete repairs for the Old House and put it on the market. If I can get it done by the end of the summer, that would be great. There are some works on getting the Old House ready for selling, so I will do my best.
4) Of course, taking care of Lulu is always a priority. She just entered the preschool and is still adjusting these days. We need to get her potty read, hopefully soon. We also need to get her settled in her own room, without co-sleeping, no later than this summer—a challenging but doable task. I as her daddy need to be more firm and authoritative with her this year, setting up clear boundaries and disciplines. This is my soft spot and I am still working on it. Overall, Lulu is so lovely and marvelous that I cherish every moment with her, including those tough moments!
5) Keep doing exercise. This is a must thing for me and Igel as we are getting older. At least, I should jog twice (30 minutes/5km each time) and swim once (40-50 minutes) each week, and do some cycling in the summer. My body condition is not the best these days, and one best way to strengthen the immune system is to exercise. I should make it an absolute top priority!
6) Keep a robust weekday routine. That is, get up at 5am, wake up Lulu at 7-7:30am, send in Lulu by 8:30am, go to bed with Lulu at 9-10pm. I can do exercise either in the morning or in the afternoon, depending on the weather, twice a week. Weekend schedule can be more relaxed so I can catch up with some sleep.
7) I want to carve out a time for myself each week, doing casual reading or some language learning. The most likely time will be Sat. morning, after exercise. I made it a routine in Fall 2024, but stopped doing that in 2025. I should resume this routine so I can have a devoted time for myself.
8) Related to 7), Igel and I should also carve out a time for ourselves each week. Sat. evening would be a good time for us to do something fun together, such as watching a movie. It is in our plan!
9) Try to be more efficient on replying emails. I haven't improved on this matter in the past year—one of the 2025 wishes I didn't accomplish. It is hard to get rid of the proofreading habit, which is mainly psychological. I may consult friends, like Susan, to get some tips.
10) It is possible that I will have more service work later this year as I will be asked to be the next Director of Asian Studies. I will see what the perks are and make a decision correspondingly. Should I take this role, it won't be too demanding a job given the course reduction.
That is it. 2026 is a year full of hope and a turning point for the family. Most importantly, I should keep the spirit high and remain optimistic but at the same time being honest about my anxieties, doubts, and negative thoughts. Life is complicated, as aways. As I am approaching 50, I should know that well. Good luck, old boy!
